1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drive suspensions, and more particularly to load beams for such suspensions having an integrated gimbal flexure, that is a gimbal flexure formed from the metal web of the load beam and unitary and integral with the load beam. Certain of the gimbal flexure components are partially etched to provide reduced stiffness and increased gimbal responsiveness. A flexible circuit carrying conductors is connected to the gimbal flexure frame outriggers to complete the gimbal flexure frame with less stiffness than a completely steel flexure, and is connected to the flexure tongue to limit flexure tongue excursions.
2. Related Art
In disk drives, the read-write head is carried in a slider suspended from a suspension flexure comprising a tongue typically gimbaled on a dimple. As sliders decrease in size, design problems that can be overlooked in larger devices become critical. With pico and nano sized sliders the need for increased flexibility of the flexure becomes paramount. A convenient style of flexure is one integrated into the load beam by forming the flexure features (flexure frame and tongue) at the time of load beam formation from a single, unitary web of stainless steel. The steel of the load beam is more properly designed for the requirements of the load beam and is often too stiff and thus ill-suited for forming a flexure, particularly where the slider is pico or nano-sized and lacks mass.